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2019-07-14
President Tsai and young Taiwanese-Americans stroll in NYC Central Park
While transiting in New York on her Journey of Freedom, Democracy, and Sustainability, President Tsai Ing-wen went for a stroll with young Taiwan-Americans in New York City's Central Park on the morning of July 13 (evening Taipei time).
New York is an important global center for business, finance, culture, and art, attracting many young Taiwanese-Americans who live, study, and work there. Their stroll gave the president an opportunity to really understand their work situations and lifestyles, and share what she has learned on her journey and her vision for the future of Taiwan.
President Tsai took part in this event hoping to encourage young Taiwanese-Americans to develop their professional expertise, and establish more international connections for themselves and Taiwan, by participating in activities of all kinds.
During their stroll, the Taiwanese-American young people welcomed the president with enthusiasm, and their interactions were warm and friendly. President Tsai graciously took group photos, and signed T-shirts and photos to keep as souvenirs.
The president, accompanied by American Institute in Taiwan Chairman James Moriarty, then headed for Pier 62 where they boarded a boat for some sight-seeing on the Hudson River, passing the various riverbank parks, One World Trade Center, Wall Street and the Financial District, Ellis Island, Governor's Island, and the Statue of Liberty—symbol of freedom and democracy.
Among those attending the event were National Security Council Secretary-General David T. Lee (李大維), Foreign Minister Joseph Wu (吳釗燮), Representative to the United States Stanley Kao (高碩泰), Taoyuan City Mayor Cheng Wen-Tsan (鄭文燦), and Legislators Kuan, Bi-Ling (管碧玲), Chao Tien-lin (趙天麟), and Lo Chih-Cheng (羅致政).
After wrapping up her New York City transit stop at noon, President Tsai departed for Taiwan's diplomatic ally, the Republic of Haiti.
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2018-10-19
President Tsai meets 2018 International Youth Ambassadors and Young Agricultural Ambassadors
During a meeting with 2018 "International Youth Ambassadors Exchange Program" and "Young Agricultural Ambassadors New Southbound Policy Exchange Program" participants on the morning of October 19, President Tsai Ing-wen said that the momentum to drive continuous innovation and forward progress in Taiwan will come from young people's completely new way of thinking. She urged the youth ambassadors to maintain their enthusiasm, and bring positive creativity and inspiration to the government's ongoing diplomatic work.
President Tsai started her remarks by welcoming the youth ambassadors to the Presidential Office, and noted that her visitors included three different groups of participants in the "International Youth Ambassadors Exchange Program" organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. One group had traveled to the Solomon Islands and Thailand, another to Palau and the Philippines, and the third to Tuvalu and India. Also on hand, she noted, were participants in the "Young Agricultural Ambassadors New Southbound Policy Exchange Program" co-organized by the Council of Agriculture and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs who had been sent to Vietnam and Malaysia, many of whom were selected for recognition as members of Taiwan's outstanding "Hundred Young Farmers."
President Tsai pointed out that since taking office she has made five state visits to Taiwan's diplomatic allies, and wanted to share two important things she learned from her participation in diplomatic work. The first was that we are often compared to our larger neighbors when talking about regional politics or history, but on a global scale, Taiwan is a country with a significant presence and considerable strengths. That means we should have confidence in ourselves. The second thing she learned is that Taiwan can contribute to the world. Our experience pursuing democracy and economic development successes set a good example for many other countries.
President Tsai went on to say that in a more concrete sense, Taiwan is also a top global competitor in the fields of agriculture, education, healthcare, and technology. Whenever she has visited Taiwan's allies and interacted with our medical and technical missions stationed overseas, she has personally witnessed that kind of strength, which can definitely benefit the global community and make the world a better place. So as long as we are bold and go out into the world, the president said, the world will engage with us. The way Taiwan makes friends is by contributing its experience and technologies.
President Tsai said that the assembled youth ambassadors were all doing important diplomatic work this past summer. This year, she said, we focused on in-depth exchanges to create connections for agricultural production and marketing and technology cooperation in countries targeted by Taiwan's New Southbound Policy. The results of those efforts have been quite good, and on behalf of the government, the president thanked everyone for their hard work.
President Tsai said she was happy to learn that the Young Agricultural Ambassadors included a second-generation Taiwanese citizen of Vietnamese descent, and a Vietnamese man who married into a Taiwanese family, and one of the International Youth Ambassadors was a Taiwanese student who grew up in Thailand. People-centered exchanges are the foundation of Taiwan's efforts to enhance ties with neighboring Asian countries, and she thanked everyone for participating.
In closing, President Tsai offered encouragement to the young people on hand, saying that their new ways of thinking are often the source of momentum driving the nation's continuous innovation and forward progress. She then expressed hope that, after expanding their horizons as youth ambassadors, the participants would maintain enthusiasm and bring positive creativity and new inspiration to the government's ongoing diplomatic efforts. Following her remarks, the president listened to the youth ambassadors as they described their overseas exchange experiences.
Details
2018-06-20
President Tsai meets 2018 Mosaic Taiwan fellows
President Tsai Ing-wen met with the 2018 Mosaic Taiwan fellows on the morning of June 20. The president explained that although political factors make it difficult for Taiwan to participate in the international community, we will continue our active cooperation and dialogue with the international community, share our experiences, and contribute our knowledge and expertise to the world. She hopes that when the fellows return home, they'll share their impressions and perspectives about Taiwan with their friends and become "Taiwan Insiders" in the United States and Canada.
President Tsai first welcomed the young people from the United States and Canada, all of whom came to Taiwan because of their passion for public and international affairs. She mentioned that this was their first visit to Taiwan, and that over the past week or so, they had participated in many different classes and cultural activities. The president said that she's sure they understand a bit more about Taiwan, and that she's equally sure that they liked what they saw.
President Tsai told the fellows that although political factors make it difficult for Taiwan to participate in the international community, the international community cannot--and will not—miss out on what Taiwan has to offer. Our region, and the international community, are well aware of Taiwan's history of successful economic development and democratic transformation. We're now also implementing industrial upgrade and transformation policies, she said, and we're one of the few Asian countries taking concrete action to address transitional justice issues.
As part of the international community, the president stated, Taiwan wants to share its developmental experience, and contribute our knowledge and expertise to the world. But for some time now, China has subjected Taiwan to political interference and suppression. Fortunately, the people of Taiwan have also received tremendous support from many like-minded countries. But as external suppression gets stronger, so does Taiwan's determination to engage with the world. And we will continue our active cooperation and dialogue with the international community.
President Tsai then cited examples of Taiwan's frequent interaction and cooperation with the United States and Canada. In November of last year, she said, Taiwan became the 12th country in the world, and the third country in Asia, to become part of the US Global Entry Program. This April, we also reached reciprocal driver's license agreements with all ten Canadian provinces. These agreements, she said, will have a positive impact on government and people-to-people exchanges between Taiwan and the United States, and Taiwan and Canada.
In closing, the president expressed hope that based on their research and experiences here, the visitors will all be "Taiwan Insiders" in their home countries. So when they return home, she asked them to share their impressions and perspectives about Taiwan with their friends.
Details
2025-03-13
President Lai holds press conference following high-level national security meeting
On the afternoon of March 13, President Lai Ching-te convened a high-level national security meeting, following which he held a press conference. In remarks, President Lai introduced 17 major strategies to respond to five major national security and united front threats Taiwan now faces: China’s threat to national sovereignty, its threats from infiltration and espionage activities targeting Taiwan’s military, its threats aimed at obscuring the national identity of the people of Taiwan, its threats from united front infiltration into Taiwanese society through cross-strait exchanges, and its threats from using “integrated development” to attract Taiwanese businesspeople and youth.
President Lai emphasized that in the face of increasingly severe threats, the government will not stop doing its utmost to ensure that our national sovereignty is not infringed upon, and expressed hope that all citizens unite in solidarity to resist being divided. The president also expressed hope that citizens work together to increase media literacy, organize and participate in civic education activities, promptly expose concerted united front efforts, and refuse to participate in any activities that sacrifice national interests. As long as every citizen plays their part toward our nation’s goals for prosperity and security, he said, and as long as we work together, nothing can defeat us.
A translation of President Lai’s remarks follows:
At many venues recently, a number of citizens have expressed similar concerns to me. They have noticed cases in which members of the military, both active-duty and retired, have been bought out by China, sold intelligence, or even organized armed forces with plans to harm their own nation and its citizens. They have noticed cases in which entertainers willingly followed instructions from Beijing to claim that their country is not a country, all for the sake of personal career interests. They have noticed how messaging used by Chinese state media to stir up internal opposition in Taiwan is always quickly spread by specific channels. There have even been individuals making careers out of helping Chinese state media record united front content, spreading a message that democracy is useless and promoting skepticism toward the United States and the military to sow division and opposition. Many people worry that our country, as well as our hard-won freedom and democracy and the prosperity and progress we achieved together, are being washed away bit by bit due to these united front tactics.
In an analysis of China’s united front, renowned strategic scholar Kerry K. Gershaneck expressed that China plans to divide and conquer us through subversion, infiltration, and acquisition of media, and by launching media warfare, psychological warfare, and legal warfare. What they are trying to do is to sow seeds of discord in our society, keep us occupied with internal conflicts, and cause us to ignore the real threat from outside.
China’s ambition over the past several decades to annex Taiwan and stamp out the Republic of China has not changed for even a day. It continues to pursue political and military intimidation, and its united front infiltration of Taiwan’s society grows ever more serious. In 2005, China promulgated its so-called “Anti-Secession Law,” which makes using military force to annex Taiwan a national undertaking. Last June, China issued a 22-point set of “guidelines for punishing Taiwan independence separatists,” which regards all those who do not accept that “Taiwan is part of the People’s Republic of China” as targets for punishment, creating excuses to harm the people of Taiwan. China has also recently been distorting United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758, showing in all aspects China’s increasingly urgent threat against Taiwan’s sovereignty.
Lately, China has been taking advantage of democratic Taiwan’s freedom, diversity, and openness to recruit gangs, the media, commentators, political parties, and even active-duty and retired members of the armed forces and police to carry out actions to divide, destroy, and subvert us from within.
A report from the National Security Bureau indicates that 64 persons were charged last year with suspicion of spying for China, which was three times the number of persons charged for the same offense in 2021. Among them, the Unionist Party, Rehabilitation Alliance Party, and Republic of China Taiwan Military Government formed treasonous organizations to deploy armed forces for China. In a democratic and free society, such cases are appalling. But this is something that actually exists within Taiwan’s society today.
China also actively plots ways to infiltrate and spy on our military. Last year, 28 active-duty and 15 retired members of the armed forces were charged with suspicion of involvement in spying for China, respectively comprising 43 percent and 23 percent of all of such cases – 66 percent in total.
We are also alert to the fact that China has recently used widespread issuance of Chinese passports to entice Taiwanese citizens to apply for the Residence Permit for Taiwan Residents, permanent residency, or the Resident Identity Card, in an attempt to muddle Taiwanese people’s sense of national identity.
China also views cross-strait exchanges as a channel for its united front against Taiwan, marking enemies in Taiwan internally, creating internal divisions, and weakening our sense of who the enemy really is. It intends to weaken public authority and create the illusion that China is “governing” Taiwan, thereby expanding its influence within Taiwan.
We are also aware that China has continued to expand its strategy of integrated development with Taiwan. It employs various methods to demand and coerce Taiwanese businesses to increase their investments in China, entice Taiwanese youth to develop their careers in China, and unscrupulously seeks to poach Taiwan’s talent and steal key technologies. Such methods impact our economic security and greatly increase the risk of our young people heading to China.
By its actions, China already satisfies the definition of a “foreign hostile force” as provided in the Anti-Infiltration Act. We have no choice but to take even more proactive measures, which is my purpose in convening this high-level national security meeting today. It is time we adopt proper preventive measures, enhance our democratic resilience and national security, and protect our cherished free and democratic way of life.
Next, I will be giving a detailed account of the five major national security and united front threats Taiwan now faces and the 17 major strategies we have prepared in response.
I. Responding to China’s threats to our national sovereignty
We have a nation insofar as we have sovereignty, and we have the Republic of China insofar as we have Taiwan. Just as I said during my inaugural address last May, and in my National Day address last October: The moment when Taiwan’s first democratically elected president took the oath of office in 1996 sent a message to the international community, that Taiwan is a sovereign, independent, democratic nation. Among people here and in the international community, some call this land the Republic of China, some call it Taiwan, and some, the Republic of China Taiwan. The Republic of China and the People’s Republic of China are not subordinate to each other, and Taiwan resists any annexation or encroachment upon our sovereignty. The future of the Republic of China Taiwan must be decided by its 23 million people. This is the status quo that we must maintain.
The broadest consensus in Taiwanese society is that we must defend our sovereignty, uphold our free and democratic way of life, and resolutely oppose annexation of Taiwan by China.
(1) I request that the National Security Council (NSC), the Ministry of National Defense (MND), and the administrative team do their utmost to promote the Four Pillars of Peace action plan to demonstrate the people’s broad consensus and firm resolve, consistent across the entirety of our nation, to oppose annexation of Taiwan by China.
(2) I request that the NSC and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs draft an action plan that will, through collaboration with our friends and allies, convey to the world our national will and broad social consensus in opposing annexation of Taiwan by China and in countering China’s efforts to erase Taiwan from the international community and downgrade Taiwan’s sovereignty.
II. Responding to China’s threats from infiltration and espionage activities targeting our military
(1) Comprehensively review and amend our Law of Military Trial to restore the military trial system, allowing military judges to return to the frontline and collaborate with prosecutorial, investigative, and judicial authorities in the handling of criminal cases in which active-duty military personnel are suspected of involvement in such military crimes as sedition, aiding the enemy, leaking confidential information, dereliction of duty, or disobedience. In the future, criminal cases involving active-duty military personnel who are suspected of violating the Criminal Code of the Armed Forces will be tried by a military court.
(2) Implement supporting reforms, including the establishment of a personnel management act for military judges and separate organization acts for military courts and military prosecutors’ offices. Once planning and discussion are completed, the MND will fully explain to and communicate with the public to ensure that the restoration of the military trial system gains the trust and full support of society.
(3) To deter the various types of controversial rhetoric and behavior exhibited by active-duty as well as retired military personnel that severely damage the morale of our national military, the MND must discuss and propose an addition to the Criminal Code of the Armed Forces on penalties for expressions of loyalty to the enemy as well as revise the regulations for military personnel and their families receiving retirement benefits, so as to uphold military discipline.
III. Responding to China’s threats aimed at obscuring the national identity of the people of Taiwan
(1) I request that the Ministry of the Interior (MOI), Mainland Affairs Council (MAC), and other relevant agencies, wherever necessary, carry out inspections and management of the documents involving identification that Taiwanese citizens apply for in China, including: passports, ID cards, permanent residence certificates, and residence certificates, especially when the applicants are military personnel, civil servants, or public school educators, who have an obligation of loyalty to Taiwan. This will be done to strictly prevent and deter united front operations, which are performed by China under the guise of “integrated development,” that attempt to distort our people’s national identity.
(2) With respect to naturalization and integration of individuals from China, Hong Kong, and Macau into Taiwanese society, more national security considerations must be taken into account while also attending to Taiwan’s social development and individual rights:
Chinese nationals applying for permanent residency in Taiwan must, in accordance with the law of Taiwan, relinquish their existing household registration and passport and may not hold dual identity status.
As for the systems in place to process individuals from Hong Kong or Macau applying for residency or permanent residency in Taiwan, there will be additional provisions for long-term residency to meet practical needs.
IV. Responding to China’s threats from united front infiltration into Taiwanese society through cross-strait exchanges
(1) There are increasing risks involved with travel to China. (From January 1, 2024 to today, the MAC has received reports of 71 Taiwanese nationals who went missing, were detained, interrogated, or imprisoned in China; the number of unreported people who have been subjected to such treatment may be several times that. Of those, three elderly I-Kuan Tao members were detained in China in December of last year and have not yet been released.) In light of this, relevant agencies must raise public awareness of those risks, continue enhancing public communication, and implement various registration systems to reduce the potential for accidents and the risks associated with traveling to China.
(2) Implement a disclosure system for exchanges with China involving public officials at all levels of the central and local government. This includes everyone from administrative officials to elected representatives, from legislators to village and neighborhood chiefs, all of whom should make the information related to such exchanges both public and transparent so that they can be accountable to the people. The MOI should also establish a disclosure system for exchanges with China involving public welfare organizations, such as religious groups, in order to prevent China’s interference and united front activities at their outset.
(3) Manage the risks associated with individuals from China engaging in exchanges with Taiwan:
Review and approval of Chinese individuals coming to Taiwan should be limited to normal cross-strait exchanges and official interactions under the principles of parity and dignity, and relevant factors such as changes in the cross-strait situation should be taken into consideration.
Strict restrictions should be placed on Chinese individuals who have histories with the united front coming to Taiwan, and Chinese individuals should be prohibited from coming to Taiwan to conduct activities related in any way to the united front.
(4) Political interference from China and the resulting risks to national security should be avoided in cross-strait exchanges. This includes the review and management of religious, cultural, academic, and education exchanges, which should in principle be depoliticized and de-risked so as to simplify people-to-people exchanges and promote healthy and orderly exchanges.
(5) To deter the united front tactics of a cultural nature employed by Chinese nationals to undermine Taiwan’s sovereignty, the Executive Yuan must formulate a solution to make our local cultural industries more competitive, including enhanced support and incentives for our film, television, and cultural and creative industries to boost their strengths in democratic cultural creation, raise international competitiveness, and encourage research in Taiwan’s own history and culture.
(6) Strengthen guidance and management for entertainers developing their careers in China. The competent authorities should provide entertainers with guidelines on conduct while working in China, and make clear the scope of investigation and response to conduct that endangers national dignity. This will help prevent China from pressuring Taiwanese entertainers to make statements or act in ways that endanger national dignity.
(7) The relevant authorities must adopt proactive, effective measures to prevent China from engaging in cognitive warfare against Taiwan or endangering cybersecurity through the internet, applications, AI, and other such tools.
(8) To implement these measures, each competent authority must run a comprehensive review of the relevant administrative ordinances, measures, and interpretations, and complete the relevant regulations for legal enforcement. Should there be any shortcomings, the legal framework for national security should be strengthened and amendments to the National Security Act, Anti-Infiltration Act, Act Governing Relations between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area, Laws and Regulations Regarding Hong Kong & Macao Affairs, or Cyber Security Management Act should be proposed. Communication with the public should also be increased so that implementation can happen as soon as possible.
V. Responding to threats from China using “integrated development” to attract Taiwanese businesspeople and youth
(1) I request that the NSC and administrative agencies work together to carry out strategic structural adjustments to the economic and trade relations between Taiwan and China based on the strategies of putting Taiwan first and expanding our global presence while staying rooted in Taiwan. In addition, they should carry out necessary, orderly adjustments to the flow of talent, goods, money, and skills involved in cross-strait economic and trade relations based on the principle of strengthening Taiwan’s foundations to better manage risk. This will help boost economic security and give us more power to respond to China’s economic and trade united front and economic coercion against Taiwan.
(2) I request that the Ministry of Education, MAC, Ministry of Economic Affairs, and other relevant agencies work together to comprehensively strengthen young students’ literacy education on China and deepen their understanding of cross-strait exchanges. I also request these agencies to widely publicize mechanisms for employment and entrepreneurship for Taiwan’s youth and provide ample information and assistance so that young students have more confidence in the nation’s future and more actively invest in building up and developing Taiwan.
My fellow citizens, this year marks the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War. History tells us that any authoritarian act of aggression or annexation will ultimately end in failure. The only way we can safeguard freedom and prevail against authoritarian aggression is through solidarity.
As we face increasingly severe threats, the government will not stop doing its utmost to ensure that our national sovereignty is not infringed upon, and to ensure that the freedom, democracy, and way of life of Taiwan’s 23 million people continues on as normal. But relying solely on the power of the government is not enough. What we need even more is for all citizens to stay vigilant and take action.
Every citizen stands on the frontline of the defense of democracy and freedom. Here is what we can do together: First, we can increase our media literacy, and refrain from spreading and passing on united front messaging from the Chinese state. Second, we can organize and participate in civic education activities to increase our knowledge about united front operations and build up whole-of-society defense resilience. Third, we can promptly expose concerted united front efforts so that all malicious attempts are difficult to carry out. Fourth, we must refuse to participate in any activities that sacrifice national interests.
The vigilance and action of every citizen forms the strongest line of defense against united front infiltration. Only through solidarity can we resist being divided. As long as every citizen plays their part toward our nation’s goals for prosperity and security, and as long as we work together, nothing can defeat us.
